Process of sterilizing milk.



u. u. rAmyihn. PROCESS OF STERILIZING MILK.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.1G, 1907.

Patented July 5, 1910.

ms NORRIS PETERS ca. WASHINGTON. r1v c in UJRAAMU miliifl$ ANT BEIGE.

CASSIUS CLAY PALMER, OF CBANFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO IVIARTHA ELLAPALMER, OF CRANFORD TOWNSHIP, UNIOI LCOUNTY, NET V JERSEY.

PROCESS OF STERILIZING MILK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAssIUs CLAY PALMER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cranford, in the county of Union and State of NewJersey have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes ofsterilizing Milk, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in the process of sterilizingmilk, the object being to destroy the germs of decomposition or diseasecommonly present in unsterilized milk.

The invention consists in the improved process set forth in and fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims.

In order to destroy the germs such as above recited, I have found thatit is desirable to heat the milk to a temperature upward of 167 F., andfurthermore, that it is desirable that the entire body of milk besubjected to heat at the same time; that is to say, no portion orparticle of the milk should be left unheated, while it is furtherdesirable that the milk should not reach the boiling point.

In carrying out my invention I pass a current of heated air to the bodyof milk and preferably force such air through the milk by pressure orsuction, so that the body is agitated and the heated air welldistributed therethrough, thus resulting in the complete and uniformheating of the entire bulk.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one form of apparatus by meansof which my invention may be carried into effect, but it will of coursebe understood that other forms of apparatus may be employed in theperformance of the process.

In the accompanying drawings A indicates a heater, B a receptaclecontaining the body or bulk of milk, and C indicates a compressor. Theheater A, which may be of any suitable construction of stove, furnace orthe like, has therein an air pipe, preferably in the form of a coilindicated at 5, and provided with an open end portion 6, enlarged orflared and which, if desired, may be covered with a screen 7 of fabricor other suitable material for the purpose of preventing the entrance ofdust and the like. This coil is connected with the receptacle B by meansof suitable pipe connections 8, leading into the receptacle andterminating preferably in a coil 9 provided Patented July 5, 1916.Serial No. 357,670.

with air outlets or perforations 10. The receptacle B and the compressorC are also connected by the air pipe 11 and such compressor ispreferably in the nature of a suction device exerting a drawing orsuction eifect upon the body of milk suflicient to draw the heated airwhich passes through the heating coil and the connection 8, to the coil9, and thence through the openings 10 into the body of milk. This actionof the compressor in drawing the heated air through the orifices orperforations 10 in the coil tends to draw such air upward through thebody of milk and thus cause the agitation or bubbling of the milk. Asthe compressor is started the air from over the milk will be exhaustedand a vacuum produced. At the same time the heater is in operation andthe coils of the interior of such heater raised to the desiredtemperature necessary to sterilize the air as it passes through thepipes. The vacuum in the milk receptacle or tank draws the air throughthe pipes between the heater and the tank, thus causing the agitationbefore described and at the same time the heat of the air assists inraising the temperature of the milk to the desired degree to insuresterilization. It is obvious that by this process it will be impossiblefor any portion of the milk to escape contact with the temperaturenecessary to cause the sterilization.

If desired, the receptacle B may be placed in an auxiliary heatingdevice such as a sand bath D, and the pipe connection between the heaterand the receptacle pro vided with a thermometer 12.

In the present invention I do not limit myself to drawing air throughthe milk by suction, for any other arrangement may be employed forpassing the air through the body of milk.

After sterilizing the milk should be cooled as rapidly as possible andany suitable means may be employed for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of sterilizing milk, which consists in passing finestreams or globules of air heated to a sterilizing temperature through abody of milk for a period of time sufficient to render the milk sterile.

2. The process of sterilizing milk, which consists in placing a body ofmilk in a In testimony whereof I have hereunto closed container, forcinga body 01' zur heatsigned my name to this spee1ficat10n 1n the 10 ed toapproxnnately 150 F. through the presence 01' two subserlblng Witnesses.

bed of will the air bein broken 11. into y b r P CASSIUS CLAY PALMER. 5fine streams or globules 1n passing through the nnlk so as to come inintimate contact fitnesses:

wlth the null: particles, and creating a e1r- R. B. CAVANAGH,

culation of the air through the container. Jos. J. PlERANDO.

